The New Band
by Eternal Density
Summary: What if Mitchell couldn't 'get the band back together' and had to form a completely new SG-1? Alternate Season 9.
1. Where's My Daniel?

The New Band

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate SG-1, I don't earn money from this, it's just for my (and hopefully your) entertainment, yadda.

Notes: The other day I suddenly had the thought: what if Cam was unsuccessful in 'getting the band back together? What if he was stuck forming his own SG-1. Then I started forming ideas of how that might come about.

Setting: beginning of Season 9.

Spoilers and assumed knowledge of Avalon Part 1 (the first ep of Season 9), but quickly turns AU. Maybe some spoilers for some later non-arc plots and episodes (unsure), and various episodes from previous seasons (either not decided, or I don't want to give away what characters I'm reusing :P). There will be no Ori arc in this fic at all!

Well, on with the story!

-

Chapter 1 - Where's my Daniel?

"Receiving IDC. Opening the iris," Walter reported over the intercom. As expected, the iris slid open. Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell expected to see SG-12 arrive in the next few moments. He didn't expect anyone to walk out of the event horizon backwards, or for the person to be dressed in form-fitting black leather.

"Well. Don't you all have me surrounded?"

He certainly wasn't expecting a woman. The general didn't seem particularly phased. "Welcome to the SGC. I'm General Landry."

"Vala. Vala Mal Doran." The newcomer strode confidently down the ramp, followed by SG-12. "Thank you so much for the lovely greeting party," she told them. "We all had a wonderful time searching each other, didn't we, boys?"

Nope, not what he expected at all.

At that point, Cameron found himself the object of the strange woman's attention. "I know we haven't met. That I'm sure I would remember." Apparently she seemed incapable of conversation beyond flirting.

"Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell," the general revealed when Vala turned to him for an introduction.

"Nice outfit." Cam wondered how she would react to the compliment.

She seemed pleased, but her mind was elsewhere. "Thanks! While I would normally be thrilled to have so much testosterone at my disposal… Where's my Daniel?"

"_Your _Daniel?" Cam had to ensure he'd heard right.

"Yes. I can describe him to you if you want. In _exquisite _detail."

"Doctor Daniel Jackson? Archeologist?"

Vala nodded. "That's the one. Where is he?"

Cam looked to the general, who replied with a look of combined permission and warning. "Right now, he's on his way to another galaxy. Left yesterday."

Vala looked downcast. "Oh. Is he going in that little ship? Perhaps I'll have to steal it again."

"No, different ship," Cam replied. "Wait, steal it? _That_'s where I saw your name!"

"Really? I'm famous!"

"More like 'infamous'," the general corrected.

Vala shrugged it off. "When will he be back?"

"Could be months," Cam provided. "Who knows?"

"How dreadful. It seems that I've come at rather the wrong time. Perhaps you could let me go, and send word when my Daniel becomes available?"

Landry shook his head. "Perhaps you could come up to the briefing room where we can better discuss your presence on Earth," he said sternly.

"Oh. That doesn't sound particularly friendly."

-

"So, Miss Mal Doran, what's all this about? You said you had a tablet leading to an 'incredible Ancient buried treasure' which only Doctor Jackson is able to translate. I assume it's in the case?"

Vala nodded sourly. "It is, but there's no point in showing it to you, since Daniel isn't here."

"We have other translators," the general assured her.

"I'll only work with my Daniel. You're wasting your time and my time otherwise."

"Perhaps if you could tell us where the tablet was found..."

"No, if I can't see Daniel, I'm leaving. You shouldn't have brought me here," Vala protested.

"You were not brought here to see Doctor Jackson. The only reason we let you though the gate is because my superiors want justice for the theft of our ship."

"Oh. Oh. Can't you call him back? He's sure to come back if you tell him the truth."

"And what truth is that?" Cam wondered, speaking for the first time since the 'briefing' had begun.

"I'm pregnant. And I'm pretty sure it's Daniel's. There's at least a one in... hmmm... ten chance?"

Cam almost rolled his eyes, but forgot to when she winked at him.

"Guards, take this woman away. Put her in isolation room three, and take this case for the artifacts to be labeled and examined," Landry ordered.

"Hey! But... I was just... Let go of me!" Vala protested.

Cam sighed. "Well, that was fun. I guess I'd better get back to the personnel files, Sir."

The general nodded. "You do that."


	2. New Talent

Chapter 2 - New Talent

Cam stared at the stack of personnel files, mentally willing them to transform into the files of the SG-1 he wanted. It didn't work. "Fine, fine, be that way," he accepted grudgingly. "So, I can't get SG-1 back. Just move on, and try to make the best SG-1 possible. Heh, it's 'build your own SG-1'. Let's see... if I break down SG-1 into its essential components I should have a formula that works. First we have the tough military leader who tries to keep the others out of trouble, and does what's necessary to protect his people and Earth. Obviously that's me. Great, I'm a fourth of the way there already."

Deciding to put his thoughts to paper, Cam started jotting down some dot points:

1. SG-1 was half civilian. Having no civilians won't work, but I won't stand more than two.

2. We need a sciency person to figure out all the alien gadgets and inevitably fix the Stargate and generally get us out of scrapes with creative uses of technology.

3. Similarly, a language/rock person who can talk aliens into letting us go or negotiate treaties or figure out which Goa'uld is on the planet.

4. An alien with galactic street smarts is a big help. Preferably the warrior type. Recruiting a trustworthy alien is probably difficult.

5. If we can't get an alien, or as a bonus, one of our people who's gained alien knowledge/memories/abilities could do.

6. All members must have some concept of self-preservation.

7. Military personnel are preferably limited to USAF officers.

8. Keep in mind that even civilians can learn fast under pressure.

9. General O'Neill can probably be convinced to reassign someone from an existing team.

10. Or someone from the labs.

11. But not Carter.

"Pity there's no spare copies of SG-1 lying around. Let's see now… there was the robot SG-1 who were wasted by Cronos – I doubt they'll let themselves be copied again. And there was the evil replicator double of Samantha Carter, which doesn't help me either. And O'Neill was cloned by an Asgard, but he was just a kid and didn't live long. Not that I'd want a clone of O'Neill on my team when I'm supposed to be leading it. But if there was a clone of… actually, there just might be. What _was_ that girl's name?" he mused aloud.

-

_A few hours later…_

Cam stepped warily into the lab, unsure of what kind of experiments might be underway. He didn't expect anything particularly hazardous, but you never know with alien technology. Fortunately all he found was two scientists arguing at a whiteboard, once watching a bundle of sensors and wires attached to a Jaffa staff weapon, and… there ought to be a fourth person in the room. A closer look lead to his discovery of the lieutenant hidden behind a computer screen and typing furiously. He cleared his throat to catch her attention.

"Hmm?" She finished an equation and looked up lazily. "Oh! Sir!" She quickly snapped to attention. "Sorry Sir, I didn't notice…"

"Don't worry about it, Lieutenant. I'm sure you were caught up in something important."

"Yes, Sir. We're logging the energy profile of the liquid naquadah power cell in order to…"

"Please tell me you're designing some kind of plasma pistol. That would be cool."

"Uh… yes, Sir, that's what we're doing," she replied professionally.

"As fun as that sounds, and as much as I want you to finish, I need to speak to you in my office. Are you able to drop what you're doing?"

"Yes Sir, I can leave it without any problems."

"Great, follow me. I'm Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell, by the way."

"Pleased to meet you, Sir. Lieutenant Jennifer Hailey." She knew he had to know who she was, but introducing oneself is always polite.

Once they had arrived and taken seats, Cam opened with, "I suppose you're wondering who I am and why I need to speak to you."

"That's correct, Sir."

"I was an F302 pilot. Grounded after the battle over Antarctica. Now I've been given my own SG team. I've read your file – you've completed a fair share of off-world missions, attached to various teams as the situation required. Now I know you have a lot of important and interesting lab work going on, but… how'd you like to be permanently assigned to a frontline team?"

"I'd be a field scientist?"

"That's right. You've proven yourself capable, but is it what you want?"

"It is, Sir. I've wanted to be assigned to a team for a few years, but not many teams need my skills on a permanent basis, and the officers with greater seniority tend to be chosen first. Sorry Sir, I don't mean to complain."

"No harm done, Lieutenant," Cam assured her. "And I'm sure you'll soon earn a promotion once you join my team."

"May I ask what team that is, Sir?" Jennifer wondered.

"It's just the two of us at the moment. I haven't decided on anyone else yet."

"I actually meant what designation do we have," she clarified.

"Oh. Lieutenant Hailey, welcome to SG-1," he told her grandly.

"Really!?" she exclaimed with wonderment. "I mean, I'm pleased…"

"Hey, you're allowed to be a little excited about this."

"Sorry, Sir."

"And you don't have to apologise for stopping yourself."

"Sor… oh."

Cam grinned, and asked, "What do you think our chances are of picking up an actual Jaffa for the team?"

"Sir?" The question took her by beside.

"Well, we can't really be SG-1 without a Jaffa. I asked Teal'c but he's kinda busy with Jaffa politics. He said he'd send me a list of 'honourable warriors' when he gets a moment."

"Sir… do you expect me to be a replacement for Lieutenant Colonel Carter?"

"What? No, that's not it. Sure, I'm disappointed that I don't get to work with her, and you two do have a lot of similarities, but I don't expect you to _be_ her. I picked you based on your own record, and because I recognise that you have the potential to be an excellent member of the new SG-1. I admit that I remembered you because of your 'mini-Carter' reputation, but that's not why I chose you."

"I understand, Sir, and I'm glad to be aboard," she replied, reassured.

"Great, now let's see if we can find ourselves someone who can say, 'We're peaceful explorers from the planet Earth, please don't hurt us,' in a couple dozen languages, and read, 'Danger,' and, 'The Goa'uld are here,' in a few dozen more."


	3. Suggestions and Arrangements

Chapter 3 – Suggestions and Arrangements

_A few hours later…_

"Sir?"

"What've you got, Lieutenant?" Cameron asked.

Jennifer handed him the file she'd perused. "A possible SG-1 member, Sir."

Cam began to read. "Let's see… hmm, decent qualifications, but what about… hmm, that mission, I hadn't really considered that as a source of team material… right, I see what you're getting at. We might kill two birds with one stone if this works out."

The lieutenant nodded. "I hope so, Sir."

"Good work. I'll write a recruitment request for General Landry. You keep at reading those reports. Let me know if you find any more possibilities."

"Yes Sir," Jennifer answered smartly before lifting the next file from the stack.

-

_The next morning…_

"Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell reports as ordered."

"Take a seat," General Landry offered.

"Is this about SG-1's archaeo-linguist, Sir?"

"I'm afraid not. I'd like you to question the prisoner."

"Prisoner? Oh, Vala, right." Cam wanted to ask why, but knew better. "What do you want from her?"

"She's an ex-host, so she must know a lot. Anything about the Goa'uld or the people she sold the Prometheus to is potentially valuable knowledge. We also want to know where she got the tablet from, and the purpose of the other items she brought."

"Other items, Sir?"

"They appear to be some kind of bracelets."

"Ancient?"

"The folks in the lab say Goa'uld."

"Curious," Cam observed.

"Yes, and I'd like to know what she planned to do with them. Her intentions may go beyond merely asking for Doctor Jackson's help in translating the tablet. If the tablet was all she had brought, I would be required to let her go, but the possible Goa'uld 'bracelets' raise questions."

"I understand, Sir."

"I should have a decision about your request by the time you're done."

"Thankyou, Sir."

"Dismissed."

-

_A few minutes later, in an 'interview' room…_

"Cameron, wasn't it? Come to torture me?"

"I'm here to ask you a few questions," Cam told the prisoner.

"_Really_? Daniel simply stunned me and took my clothes off while I was unconscious."

"Um…" Cam wasn't sure how to react at first, but decided to use the topic as an opening. "That was when you took our ship, the Prometheus?"

"Yes, it was a pity that I didn't get to see his expression when he undressed me, but the look on his face when I pulled off that supersoldier helmet was fun."

"I can imagine," Cam played along. "Where did you get the armour?"

"I'm not telling you where I shop."

"You bought it?"

"One can buy anything, for the right price."

"Do you think there could be more people out there with their own set of armour?"

"Probably. Unless you can account for every single one of those drones that died."

"You've got a point there. What can you tell me about your buyers? The ones with the crate of weapons grade naquadah?"

"Jup and Tenat. Rather disagreeable fellows. I haven't a hope of trading with them again since Daniel messed up the deal. Pity, they were always easy to dupe."

"Where did they get the naquadah?"

"Selling things," Vala replied vaguely.

"Are there a lot of… free traders, throughout the galaxy?"

"Enough. Now that the Goa'uld are out of power, there's all sorts of technology on the market, and few people know what it does, or how to use it. Makes things rather interesting."

"But you've got an advantage, right?"

"Advantage?" Vala echoed coyly.

"You know what all those devices are, and you can use them. We have a saying on Earth: one man's trash is another man's treasure."

"That's true. Some people need to be convinced that their treasure is 'trash' before I trade for it," Vala admitted with an amused smile.

"What about the bracelets you brought? We know they're Goa'uld items. What do they do?"

"They're for Daniel."

"A gift?"

"Yes, definitely a gift. But I need to give it to him myself, so you'd better give them back when you release me."

Cam shook his head. "We can't do that."

"You can't? I'll tell you what you can't do: you can't invite me here to see Daniel and then lock me up like some common criminal!" Vala protested.

"Normally we would let you go, but since you've brought unknown Goa'uld technology into our base, we can't just let you go."

"I wanted Daniel to help me find the treasure. That's all. Honest."

"In that case, we'll have to find out what the bracelets do the hard way."

"Torture me?"

"No. We ask Teal'c. That guy talks a lot less than you. But I'm sure he'll know."

Vala made thoughtful noises. "Since you'll find out eventually, I could save you the trouble and tell you myself."

"Really." Cam sounded unconvinced.

"But I'd rather not ruin your fun."

"No, really, I don't mind. Ruin away. By not telling us, you make us more suspicious of your motives."

"You were already suspicious of my motives," Vala shot back.

"Only once you refused to cooperate with anyone besides Doctor Jackson," Cam clarified.

"He's the only Tauri I've worked with before."

"_Worked_ with? I wouldn't call what you did 'working together'."

Vala shrugged. "I was going to say something else, but it seems you're too young for such adult talk."

"Hey!" Cam realised he was letting her get to him, and tried to calm himself. "Were you always like this?"

"Is that your way of asking if the evil parasite in my head was a bad influence?"

"Uh, no, more the degree of badness," Cam stumbled.

Vala met his eyes with a look of complete bitterness. "I'd tell you to try it yourself if you really want to know, but I wouldn't wish that on anybody."

"Not even your worst enemy?"

"Quetesh _was_ my worst enemy, and I don't think a Goa'uld can be possessed by another," Vala answered more forcefully.

"Quetesh… I've never heard of that one before."

"She wasn't a major player. Mostly kept to the territory her father assigned to her."

Cam hazarded a guess. "Ra?"

"Yes."

"And this territory, what's become of it?"

"If you wish to know, perhaps we could come to an arrangement. One that involves me leaving with all my belongings."

"That might be acceptable. I'll discuss it with my superiors."

"Oh, can I discuss it with them too? I'd like to tell them what they can…"

"I think you can go back to your isolation room now."

"You mean the one with the strapping young men with big weapons standing outside it?" Vala asked with fake eagerness.

"Yes, that one," Cam replied tiredly, even though it was only late morning. He ignored her reply.

Note: yes, I'm teasing you with the hints of the third member.


	4. The Best Laid Plans

Note: Here's another morsel of story!

Chapter 4 – The Best Laid Plans...

"I said 'no' Jay!"

"But... come on Chloe! They might turn us into superheroes, like SG-1 with those armbands..."

"SG-1 caused a nasty bar fight and later nearly got themselves killed by going off-world against orders," Chloe reminded.

"True, but who ever said superheroes were perfect?"

"Jay, we have no idea what the bracelets do, if anything. They're Goa'uld, so it's probably something bad."

"If we don't try, we'll never know."

"If we do try, we could die, Jay! Or other people could get hurt. At best you'll lose your job for breaking protocol."

"Not if I discover something awesome enough. Sometimes, one must make sacrifices for the sake of scientific progress."

"Jay!"

Fortunately the lab door opened before the situation could degenerate further. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Oh, hi, everything's fine. What brings you here Jennifer?"

"That's Lieutenant Hailey to you, Doctor Felger. Hello Chloe."

"Jen, it's good to see you. I heard about your new assignment. Congratulations!"

"Thanks Chloe. I'm actually here for the bracelets. The prisoner changed her mind and wants to tell us what they are."

"What new assignment?" Jay asked as Chloe packed the bracelets back in their padded case.

"You're now looking at the new science officer of SG-1."

Doctor Felger looked shocked, and then jealous. "What? Did you say...? How, I mean, I've always wanted..." Finally he accepted the situation. "Fine, you're on SG-1. Well done. So... can I have your autograph?"

"No." Jen stalked out of the room holding the packed case. Jay was almost certain he felt a chill in the air.

-

"Well? What are they? We don't have all say."

"All in good time, Colonel Mitchell," Vala replied lazily as she picked up a bracelet. "They're ceremonial bracelets - perfectly harmless. I thought they would make a good gift for my Daniel. See, I put one on like this, and nothing happens. Completely safe."

Cam still felt skeptical. "Right, sure they are."

"Don't believe me? Fine, I'll show you." Vala grabbed the second bracelet and lashed out to snap it around Cam's wrist. There was a blur, a scuffle, and a shout as various bodies toppled to the ground. The guards prepared to fire if necessary.

"Lieutenant?"

"Sir?"

"Do you mind?"

"I don't understand, Sir."

Cam let out a muffled sigh of annoyance. "You're on top of me. Please get off."

"As soon as Vala removes herself from me, Sir."

"Right. Never mind. Just hurry her up. Someone's elbow is in my gut."

Vala squealed and quickly removed herself from the pile. "You pinched me!" she complained to the lieutenant who was also standing.

"Yes, I did," Jen replied defiantly.

"What just happened?" Cam asked as he stood and straightened his uniform.

"I acted to protect you, Sir," the lieutenant answered simply. "She was about to stick that bracelet on you, and I feared it might be harmful."

"So you jumped in the way. Thanks, I think."

"Not meaning to interrupt, but has anyone seen where my other bracelet went to? Those are _extremely_ valuable."

Jen raised her hand, displaying the golden item wrapped round her wrist. "In the scuffle you found the wrong person."

"Oops." Vala said unapologetically. "This is a curious turn of events."

Cam glared at the prisoner. "What. Does. It. Do?"

"Let's just say that the lieutenant and I are going to become the best of friends."


	5. Like Ruth and Naomi

Note: I was going to work on other stories next, but my muse ran with this one instead. It's longer than the previous too! A lot longer, actually.

Chapter 5 – Like Ruth and Naomi

"Teal'c," Cam greeted respectfully.

"ColonelMitchell," Teal'c responded in kind. "How is your search progressing?"

"I've signed up one member already. Remember a Lieutenant Hailey?"

"Indeed. She is short in stature and strong in spirit. Fierce and highly intelligent. A protégé of Colonel Carter. It has been claimed that she breaths fire."

"It's 'spitfire', Teal'c." Cam removed a large colour photograph from a folder he had brought. "Ever seen anything like this before?"

"Indeed I have."

-

Jen looked miserably around the VIP room. "If it wasn't for you, I'd be on Dakara right now. I've never been there before."

"Neither have I, and I would have gladly gone along with you if allowed."

"A little too gladly, from the sound of your comments about the abundance of 'strong young Jaffa'." Jen shook her head in disapproval.

"I didn't seriously mean that," Vala defended.

"Well, you shouldn't have said it!"

Vala shrugged. "Too late to worry about that now. Anyhow, if it wasn't for the bracelets, there would have been no reason to go to Dakara."

Jen shook her head. "No, Colonel Mitchell was already planning to go to speak with Teal'c and possibly interview some Jaffa."

"Ah, you're upset that you missed a chance to 'interview' the Jaffa," Vala concluded cheekily.

"Cut that out, Vala!"

"Cut what?"

"I mean don't do that."

Vala sighed dramatically. "Fine. Tell me about your planet."

"What do you want to know? Distance from the sun? Axis tilt? Circumference? Elemental makeup of the crust? Magnetic field strength?"

"That fourth one sounds interesting. Naquadah?"

"None."

"Oh. So I could get a high price for it."

"Don't count on it. The only people who know what naquadah is also know who you are."

"I'm famous?"

"No. Most people know nothing about the Stargate or anything related to it. As far as the general population is concerned, Earth is the only planet known to hold life."

"That's no fun!"

"It's for the best. If they found out, the shock would send many people into panic. The SGC's job - _my _job - is to make it possible for every one else to live without fear of the Goa'uld."

"How many people are we talking about?" Vala wondered.

"Over six billion."

"Billion?"

"The ninth power of ten."

"Ah. That's a _large _number."

"Yes. I plan to keep it that way."

"By doing your part for continued population growth?" Vala asked while wearing a dirty look.

"Hey!"

"It's a fact of life, darling."

Jen simply shrugged. "Life has plenty of other facts."

"Such as?" Vala raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Chocolate. Ice-cream. And chocolate ice-cream."

"Never heard of them," Vala dismissed.

Jennifer shook her head in mock sadness. "And the Goa'uld call themselves gods. Pitiful."

"Yes," Vala simply agreed genuinely.

The moment was interrupted by a guard knocking on the door.

-

Jennifer entered the briefing room, where Mitchell and Landry sat waiting. Vala remained outside in the care of two silent SFs. "Lieutenant Hailey reports as ordered. Welcome back to Earth, Colonel," she greeted her CO.

"Take a seat, Lieutenant. Keeping Vala out of trouble?"

"Yes, Sir," she replied dutifully.

Cam wanted more details. "Fill me in later. I have news from Teal'c. He confirms Goa'uld have used the bracelets to secure important prisoners. Practically, if the wearers are separated by a certain difference, they will lose consciousness. If they remain apart, both will die."

"Can they be removed?" the general asked.

"Yes Sir, but Teal'c and his crew don't know how. I assume Vala knows, unless she intended to be stuck with Doctor Jackson for the rest of her life."

"She may have," Jennifer muttered.

"What happens if one bracelet wearer dies?" the general asked.

"The other dies too, Sir."

"I understand. Bring in the prisoner," he ordered the SFs outside.

"Miss me?" Vala asked as she strutted into the briefing room.

Jen ignored the question. "Take a seat."

Vala's face lit up. "Really? These look to be worth quite a…"

"I meant _sit down_," the lieutenant hurriedly amended. Vala caught the seriousness in her voice and promptly did as instructed.

"Miss Mal Doran, you have essentially taken one of my personnel hostage," Landry began.

"If you want to look at it that way."

"I do. You have committed a serious offence."

"I did what I had to do, to protect my own interests. I'll let her go when I'm satisfied," Vala promised.

"No, you will release her immediately, then you will be sent to the planet of your choosing."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because, if we have to remove the bracelet for you, it is possible you may lose the use of your hand," the general threatened.

"Oh. That's unfortunate, because forcibly removing me from my bracelet would probably kill young Jennifer, unless you operated on her at the same time. And I assume you don't want to risk her losing a hand."

"We may need to take drastic measures in order to rescue our officer from your custody."

Vala became indignant. "Surely I'm not that unpleasant."

"The lieutenant cannot carry out her duties while tethered to you, Miss Mal Doran. Shortly before this… situation, I had approved a trip to England."

"My recruitment request was approved Sir?" Cam asked, wanting confirmation.

"That's right, Colonel. I had hoped to sent the two of you, but now Lieutenant Hailey cannot leave the base without endangering her life."

"Unless I come too. Where's this 'England'?"

Jennifer did not want to be left behind again. Missing a trip to see Teal'c on Dakara because of Vala was bad enough. She didn't want to miss a trip to England to meet a possible team member as well. "Sirs, with your permission…"

Cam held up a hand. "Please don't tell me you're about to say what I think you're about to say."

Vala gave him a reproachful look. "Why not? _I_ think it's a _splendid_ idea! I'll be on my _best_ behaviour, and I won't say a _word_ unless you say I can, and it's not as if there's any point in trying to escape. Where she goes, I go. Where she stays, I stay. When she dies, I die. I'm as much Jen's prisoner as she is mine."

"More, as you won't be armed," Jen corrected. She turned back to Colonel Mitchell. "Sir, she's far more likely to cooperate if we keep her happy, and even in the VIP rooms, living underground isn't exactly cheery. Besides, if she sees what Earth is like, she'll understand what it is we're protecting."

"You understand that you'll be held responsible for her behaviour, Lieutenant?" the general questioned.

"Yes, Sir, and I believe I'll be able to sufficiently motivate her to comply." She shot Vala a look which clearly meant, 'Work with me here.'

Vala nodded. "Your lieutenant has told me of a delicacy known as 'chocolate ice-cream'. If I find it… favourable, I may be willing to exchange her freedom for some quantity of it."

Cam muttered something which sounded suspiciously like, "Oh, you'll find it favourable alright." General Landry chose to ignore it and instead stated, "I'll have to discuss this with my superiors. Dismissed."

Once the three were out in the hallway (plus SFs), Cam hissed, "You want to let her tag along to England? Are you _crazy_, Hailey?"

Jennifer looked him in the eye and asked, "If I can't cope with Vala for a few days, is there any way I could handle being a part of SG-1?"

Cam rewarded his officer with a satisfied smile. "Good answer, Lieutenant. See that you live up to my expectations."

Vala butted in and piped up with, "If she doesn't 'live up to your expectations', I could…" She suddenly found Jennifer's hand over her mouth. "Mmmf?"

"It may not be in your best interest to finish that sentence. If I have to cut off one hand, I can still shoot you with the other."

Sufficiently cowed, Vala nodded in acquiescence.

-

Note: eCookie for anyone who saw the title reference


	6. Tau'ri Transport

Chapter 6 – Tau'ri Transport

Vala looked around the airport with wide eyes. She was far too busy taking in the unfamiliar sights to make any off-colour comments, even though this was her second airport. Also, she'd promised not to speak without permission, a promise which she'd mostly kept. Even if she was allowed to speak, she still felt somewhat unbalanced from the landing. It wasn't like anything she'd experienced before.

"Vala, are you alright?" Jennifer asked with a touch of concern in her voice..

She nodded hesitantly. "Landing without inertial dampening takes some getting used to," she said softly, to avoid being overheard.

Jen shushed her and ordered, "Follow me closely. We need to find out way out and to our car, and we really _don't_ want to be separated."

"Would you like to hold my hand?" Vala offered teasingly.

"That might be the first good idea you've had," Jen replied in a resigned voice as she took the older woman's hand.

"We're riding in a… car, again?" Vala questioned.

"Yes, but in England they drive on the opposite side of the road."

"So long as they drive on the opposite side to oncoming traffic, I really don't care," Vala replied, masking her worry with flippancy. In all the worlds she'd visited, she had not experienced any forms of transport similar to Tau'ri 'cars'.

"Good. We need to head for the exit to the left. Colonel Mitchell will meet us at the car once he has our baggage organised."

"Yes. I heard him tell you that not five minutes ago," Vala griped.

"I never said you could complain, Vala. Come on." Jen tugged at the prisoner's hand and hurried her toward the exit.

-

_A little later…_

Vala closed her eyes and dropped her head to her knees. "Tell me when we get there," she instructed Jennifer over the sounds of engines and horns.

Jen pulled the prisoner back up by the shoulder. "It's safer if you keep your head up," she instructed. "Otherwise you could hit your head on the seat in front if we stop suddenly. I don't want you to break your neck."

"And I don't need your head bashing me in the back," Cam added from his position beside the driver. "Keep your mouth shut and… read the advertisements or something."

Vala warily looked out the window, afraid that she might glimpse certain doom veering toward their vehicle. The garish signage quickly captured her attention. "Oooh, that looks like fun!"

"Shhh!"

-

_Outside a small English home, after a drive a little too long for Jennifer's sanity…_

"We're here," Cam announced unnecessarily. Vala sprung out of her seat and was in the process of bending down to kiss the ground when she was halted by the equally deft lieutenant. "Vala, I never said you could leave the vehicle. You're staying here."

"Me? Staying here alone with the driver?" Vala questioned in surprise.

"No, the lieutenant is going in alone." The house they had parked in front of did not have much of a front lawn, leaving the door within the safety zone of the bracelets. "If our potential recruit agrees, we'll take her to a more secure location for an interview. Hailey, are you ready?"

"Ready, Sir." Jen waved a packet of papers which gave orders and permission for the recruitment process from the respective governments.

"Proceed."

"This won't take long," she assured Vala before walking up to the door and pressing a button to ring the doorbell. Hearing a shout of 'Just a moment' she counted the seconds until the door was pulled open.

The woman at the door was fairly tall – especially to Jennifer – and wore her pale blonde hair in a large number of long thin braids. Her face was quite pleasant and matched a photograph the lieutenant had seen. She was dressed in a colourful fashion which made the lieutenant think 'arty'. She also looked curious about the reason a young woman in dress blues had appeared at her front door. "May I help you?"

"I hope so. My name is Lieutenant Jennifer Hailey of the United States Air Force. Are you Melissa Gardner?"

The woman nodded. "That's me. What is this about?"

"I need to speak with your older sister, Sarah. Is she available?"

-

Note: I've already started the next chapter!


	7. Committed

Chapter 7 - Committed

Melissa shook her head, looking somewhat disturbed by the question. "I'm sorry, Sarah is not available."

"No? Could you tell me when she will be? It's necessary that I speak with her," Jen politely replied.

The woman shook her head again, with a faster and slighter movement. "No one can speak with her at the moment. And I don't know when she'll be… available."

It was quite obvious there was something this woman wasn't saying. "Where is Sarah?" Jen asked bluntly.

"She… she's been committed. To a mental health institution. I… I'd rather not talk about it."

"I think it's necessary that you do," Jen replied firmly. "When did this happen?"

Melissa sighed and reluctantly replied, "It was only yesterday. She'd been acting…" The woman broke off midsentence and asked, "Are you familiar with her recent history?"

"Yes, I know about how she was kidnapped and finally rescued. Go on," Jen prompted.

"Then you probably know more than I do. So, she stayed in the States after she was rescued from the cult, because she had her friend Daniel nearby to check up on her. But she moved in with me two weeks ago because Daniel had planned an extended overseas trip and she didn't want to be alone. Since she arrived she's acted increasingly erratic, until we decided she desperately needed help. Well, it was mostly me deciding, she was not really in a position to make rational decisions any more," Melissa slowly explained.

It was obviously difficult for the woman to talk about this, and Jen wished this information wasn't so vital. Otherwise, she could have simply let the poor woman be. "I think I'll need to see her, even if I'm not allowed to talk to her. The USAF was not notified of this change in her condition, so I'll need to determine what's happened to her and notify my superiors. Could I have an address and contact numbers?"

"I'll write them down for you. Would you like to come in and sit down? Can I get you something to drink?"

"Thanks for your hospitality, but no, I would prefer to wait outside."

"Oh, alright. Just a minute." Melissa ducked back inside, and returned a minute later with a business card. "This is my card – I have an art gallery nearby. I wrote the address and phone number for the mental clinic on the back. Let me know if you get to see Sarah, and feel free to stop by the gallery any time it's open," she spouted rather quickly.

"Thanks for the information, I'll keep your request in mind, and I appreciate the invitation. I don't know how long I'll be in the area for, but keep an eye out for me." Jen didn't care much for art, but thought it best to be friendly. She also figured the invitation might be useful if she needed to further discuss Sarah with her sister, as it was likely a more suitable location for a private conversation than around the front door of the woman's home.

"I'll do that. Good luck," Melissa wished as Jennifer returned to the car.

-

"No luck, Lieutenant?" Cam asked as Jennifer seated herself.

"And why does paper beat rock? Cameron here insists that it does, but it really doesn't make any sense to me."

"Vala, one question at a time!" Jen protested. "Sir, Melissa Gardner informed me that Sarah has been committed to a mental institution. I have the contact details on the back of her business card."

"Let's see." Cam held out his hand and Jen passed the card forward. He looked it over and considered the ramifications. "We should check this out. We may not be able to recruit her now, but we need to know what's going on and why. I need to make some calls. On the way." He handed the card to the driver and instructed him to take them to the clinic.

"Who exactly is this 'Sarah Gardner'?" Vala wondered, having been left out of the briefings.

Jen's mouth twisted into a wicked grin. "She was Daniel's girlfriend."

"You mean they…?"

"Yes."

"Oh." The downcast alien was quiet for the remainder of the trip, not even asking about the rules of 'Scissors Paper Rock'. Cam, who was on the phone with General Landry, was exceedingly grateful.


	8. Few Answers

Note: a not-so-hidden movie reference ahead! No special significance, just included it for lulz.

Chapter 8 – Few Answers

_West Pines Mental Clinic Parking Lot..._

"Thanks," Cam said unnecessary to the courier who had delivered a new package of documents. The man had already started his motorbike. "Right, these should give us access to Sarah Gardner's files, as well as permission to visit with Sarah herself.

"And by us you mean not Vala?" Jennifer clarified, mainly for Vala's benefit.

"Yeah, so I'll likely need you to keep her out of the way. She can come in with us initially though."

"How thoughtful of you," Vala retorted.

"Great, let's go." Cam led the way to the entrance and the foyer. He presented himself to the receptionist, saying, "Good morning, I'm Cam Mitchell. I called in just earlier."

"Yes, I remember your call. You wanted to see...?" the middle-aged redhaired woman asked. Jen figured she dyed her hair.

"Sarah Gardner. I have documentation." He slid the appropriate pages toward her.

The woman – badged as 'Heather' – appraised the documents with a careful eye. "I see. These are valid. I will have copies of her file made ready for you, if you care to wait ten minutes."

"I'll wait. What about visitation?"

"No."

"No? These documents clearly..."

"Visiting hours are not for another... three hours, thirty-seven minutes," Heather told him authoritatively.

"Oh. Bummer. Right, I'll have those files to go, and we'll be back later to see Sarah."

"As you wish."

"Good." Cam turned to face the ladies. "So, Lieutenant, Vala, we'll have some time to kill. Any suggestions?"

"I suggest you don't let her make suggestions, Sir," Jen suggested.

"Good call. Anything else?"

"We could drop in on Melissa's gallery. It would give you a chance to meet her, now that I've made initial contact."

"Now that's a good idea. I wonder what kind of gallery she has."

"Did you read the card, Sir?"

"Well, I didn't pay much attention to the front side," Cam admitted.

"She has sculptures, mostly," Jen filled in.

"Could be fun," Cam agreed. After we look over the files.

"And what do I do while you're busy reading your files?" Vala pouted.

"I'll lend you a book," Jen offered.

"Book? Why would I want to..."

"It's fiction. For entertainment," Jen hissed.

"Oh. It might be interesting."

"I hope so."

Cam cleared his throat. "We'll take a seat until those files show up." He waved the women over to the other side of the foyer where an empty row of chairs awaited.

"You might as well start on that book now," Jennifer suggested as Vala sat beside her. "It's not a new title, but it's a good one." She handed the thick volume to the alien woman.

"A Match Made in Space, by George McFly," Vala read from the cover. "That _does_ sound interesting."

A certain lieutenant colonel groaned audibly.

-

_Later…_

"There's nothing particularly notable in any of these files, Sir," Lieutenant Hailey reported.

"Same here," Cam agreed. "What little I can understand doesn't actually tell us much. Just that she's suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and that her personality has altered to deal with her trauma, followed by a list of treatments which aren't having much effect."

"What do you think they mean by altered personality?" Jen asked pointedly.

"I'd rather not jump to conclusions. It could be any number of things. We'll need to determine that when we see her," Cam decided. "Worst case, we'll need to take her back to the SGC to prevent a security leak."

Vala looked up from her book. "You aren't making much sense to me," she commented a little sourly.

"You don't need to understand," Jen told her a little sharply. Upon noticing the hurt look in the alien woman's eyes, she added, "But it's only right that I tell you than any relationship between Doctors Jackson and Gardner was over before Doctor Jackson was recruited to decipher the..." She made a ring-shaped gesture with her hands in case anyone was listening.

"Oh! I… well…"

"How about we check out that gallery?" Cam suggested before the conversation could run any further off track.

"Good idea, Sir," Jen quickly agreed.

Vala sighed dramatically and returned to the novel.


	9. Afternoon at the Gallery

Chapter 9 – Afternoon at the Gallery

"Ah, Jennifer, wasn't it?" Melissa greeted warmly at the grand entrance to her gallery. The place was far bigger than the visitors had expected, and the massive entrance was lavishly decorated with carved marble columns and towering metal figures.

"That's right, Jennifer Hailey. This is my commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell, and the woman with us is Vala," Jen introduced. "Sir, Vala, this is Melissa Gardner."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Melissa replied with a smile.

"As it is to meet you, and to visit your gallery, Ma'am. I'm impressed already."

"You haven't seen the half of it, Colonel. But please call me Melissa."

"Only if you call me Cam," was Cam's response.

"Cam? Then you'd better call me Mel," Melissa returned, as if it was a tennis match.

"Jen," Jennifer interjected, not wanting to be outdone.

"I'll stick with Vala, but for the record my full name is Vala Mal Doran and I'm _rather_ looking forward to looking at more of these sculptures," Vala added a little impatiently. The introductions were taking too long for her liking.

"Yes, of course. If you don't mind, I can give you the tour. How long do you have?"

Cam checked his watch. "Only an hour and a half before we need to be on our way. We're scheduled to see Sarah at 1600 and I don't want to be late."

"He means 4 PM," Jen clarified. "No offence intended, Sir."

"It's fine," he assured his junior officer.

"We'll have to stick with this level for today. There's not time to look at the upper floor. Perhaps if you're still in town tomorrow I can give you a second tour, and you can tell me how dear Sarah is. They haven't let _me_ visit her yet." Melissa's final statement was intended to imply a question.

"We have friends in high places," was Cam's non-answer to the not-stated question. "And I can't promise a second visit. Let's start with today's and take it from there."

"Very well," Melissa replied agreeably. "We shall begin."

"Which way first?" Vala asked eagerly.

Jennifer made a mental note to keep Vala's hands in sight at _all_ times.

-

_Much walking and viewing later…_

"It's an interesting contrast," Cam began. "Your sister's field of study involves collecting evidence of past civilisations, while you collect modern art. Similar, yet different."

Mel nodded. "You're right. Fortunately my work tends to be a lot cleaner and less… less dangerous. I remember Sarah would sometimes joke that hundreds of years from now, my gallery will be the digging ground of people like her. Oh, I _do_ hope the doctors find a way to help her. It's just not right for her to be… like she is. If only her friend Daniel hadn't left… he was helping her stay together, I'm sure of it."

"I'll make sure she gets all the help she needs, Mel," Cam found himself promising. He handed her a handkerchief and she dabbed her eyes. "Sorry for bringing it up, I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, it's alright. She's my sister, I should still talk about her even though she's… unwell."

"Hey, can you tell us how they shape glass to look like tiny animals?" Vala called from the other side of the room. "They're so cute! I wish I could get a closer look. Do these cases unlock?"

"If you like them so much, I have a selection for sale in the gift store," Melissa offered.

Jen did not like the way Vala's eyes lit up at that idea.

-

_A little later, in the gallery's gift shop…_

"Or perhaps you'd like a glass snake? They're very popular this year," Melissa suggested.

Vala visibly shuddered. "I don't like snakes," she said hurriedly. "I think I prefer the… that one," she pointed.

"The monkey?"

"Yes, the monkey," Vala agreed, even though she had no idea what a monkey was or wasn't.

"I'll pay for it," Jennifer offered, as Vala was her responsibility. "You can owe me for it," she told Vala.

"Thanks for stopping by," Melissa told her visitors after the transaction was complete. "I enjoyed meeting you all," she said while looking directly at Cam. "And I hope we can do this again tomorrow."

"So do I, Mel. We had a great time," Cam agreed.

"I don't know what state Sarah will be in, but could you pass on my best wishes and tell her I miss her?" Melissa requested.

"Will do," Cam promised.


	10. Surprise Leftovers

(Random Author's Note: the title of the previous chapter was a reference to Night at the Museum, which I actually hadn't seen, and have seen now but I completely forgot that I'd made that reference until now. Ha!)

-

Chapter 10 - Surprise Leftovers

"I'll name him Daniel," Vala announced on the way back to West Pines.

Cam made the mistake of wanting an explanation. "Pardon?"

"My new monkey," she explained, holding up the glass trinket.

"Oh, 'Daniel the Monkey'. I don't see the resemblance."

"Me neither," Jen agreed. She opted not to bring up General O'Neill's occasional nickname for the intergalactic archaeo-linguist.

"Now that the monkey has been named, we need to decide how to approach this. I think I should try talking to Doctor Gardner first, while the two of you wait outside."

"Doctor Gardner? That's rather formal of you, Sir," Jen commented. Vala tried not to laugh at the irony of that statement.

Cam shrugged. "I can't really call her Miss Gardner without confusing her with Mel."

"It's obvious you don't mean Mel," Vala pointed out. "If you want to be really clear you could refer to her as 'Daniel's ex-girlfriend who you planned to recruit for SG-1 to replace Daniel until you discovered that she's gone bolts and now you have to determine whether she's a security risk for some reason."

"... bolts?"

"She means nuts, Sir," Jen explained.

"Right. Nuts. Now that this conversation has been completely derailed..." The car stopped, having reached its destination. "Never mind."

-

After an escorted walk down several sterile hallways, the trio arrived at the door to Sarah's room. Cam indicated for Jen and Vala to wait outside with one nurse while he went inside with the other. The first thing he noticed upon entering was how still and pale the occupant of the bed appeared. "She doesn't look so well," he commented quietly to the nurse.

"It's her medication," the nurse replied stiffly.

"Really," was Cam's not-quite-believing reply. He walked closer to the patient and told her softly but audibly, "Doctor Gardner? I'm Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchel, of the United States Air Force."

Sarah whimpered softly in reply.

"Yeah, you don't know me, but I kinda know Daniel Jackson. Met him briefly before he took off on his trip."

"Daniel," Sarah whispered.

"That's right. Uh, so... I _was_ going to offer you a job, but I get the hint that you're not really feeling up to that," he explained, not entirely sure of where to take the conversation.

"Please," the woman murmured.

"Pardon? What was that?"

"Please," she repeated a little stronger.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you're trying to tell me. Listen, I've got my team - well, the beginning of it - outside. Would you like to talk to Lieutenant Jennifer Hailey? I don't expect you've met her either, but she might understand you better. She knows Jackson too."

"Daniel," Sarah filled in.

"That's right." Cam took her response as an affirmative, so he stepped to the entrance and called Jen inside. "Lieutenant? Could you talk to her for me? She's doped up to the gills and I'm not quite following her."

"Should I bring Vala, Sir?" Jen asked as she began stepping into the ward.

"Better bring her," Cam decided quickly. He had no idea how pivotal that decision actually was.

"Hello Sarah," Jen greeted in a friendly voice. "I'm Jennifer, and I'd like to..."

Vala, who was walking beside her prisoner/jailer, happened to step into range of the other former host at that moment. "Goa'uld!" she exclaimed immediately.

Sarah let out a loud shriek at exactly the same moment, and sat up in bed wearing a shocked expression. Jen stepped forward to try calming the apparently distraught women. "I'm sorry, Sarah, I should have realised..."

"There is no Sarah," the patient replied haughtily, using a slightly deeper voice than before. "There is only Osiris. Nothing of the host remains."

Vala, having recovered from the surprise somewhat, retorted, "Rubbish! I've remained quite well, thank you."

"Who dares challenge their god?"

Vala had by this time sensed that there was no actual Goa'uld present - she was only sensing residual naquadah traces - and recognised what was happening to the poor woman. "You're not Osiris, you're Sarah! It's gone. You're free now. All you have is the memories. They don't control you."

"Shol'va!" Sarah accused, before beginning a long and loud rant in Goa'uld.

The nurses were joined by two more senior staff members. "We need you to leave the ward now," one instructed. "The patient is stressed and needs attention."

Cam did not agree. "Actually..."

"There will be no arguments," was the firm reply.

"Right, right, no arguments," Cam conceded, putting his hands up to placate the figure of medical authority. He was in no hurry to be forcibly made a patient himself, and had a worrying awareness that it could happen if he wasn't careful. The staff at West Pines did not engender any trust in him. He waved his team - and prisoner - ahead, not willing to risk leaving anyone behind. Vala was reluctant to exit the room as she was trying to hear as much of Sarah's Goa'uld rant as possible. She finally given in when Jen prodded her in the side with an elbow, in response to a nurse's glare.

"What's the plan, Colonel?" Jen asked as they retraced their steps through the bland white halls.

That was an easy question. "We can't leave her here. I have the authority to have her transferred." He meant to the SGC, but he wasn't going to give out any details in mixed company. Otherwise he would have mentioned that he didn't trust the West Pines staff with Doctor Gardner, regardless of her status as a security risk. Something didn't feel right about the situation.

One they had been escorted back to reception, Cam produced another folder of paperwork and set it in front of Heather, who was still on desk duty. She slowly paged through the orders and made occasional sounds of disapproval. "I cannot release Miss Gardner," she finally stated, fixing the officer with a surly expression.

"What seems to be the holdup, Ma'am?"

"Guardianship of Sarah Gardner is held by her sister, Melissa Gardner. Even with these orders, we'll need Melissa's approval before Sarah can be released," Heather explained haughtily.

"Oh, that shouldn't be a problem. I've met Mel...issa. I'm sure you must have her number on file. If you'll just call her for me, I'm sure we can sort this out." Cam was peripherally aware of Jen handing Vala the novel, to keep her occupied until they could speak freely about the recent shocking events.

Heather hummed noncommittally, picked up the phone, and dialled. Melissa evidently answered after a few rings. "Yes, this is Heather. I have a Cameron Mitchell who wishes to speak with you. I'll put him on." She grudgingly handed the phone to him.

"Mel? It's Cam here."

"Hi! Have you seen Sarah yet?"

"I have, and she doesn't look too good. She seriously needs to be returned to the facility in Colorado Springs."

"Returned?" Mel queried.

"Yeah, that's where she was during her initial recovery period."

"Oh, you mean where Daniel Jackson works? When he's not abroad?"

"That's right. I think we're far more equipped to help her there, and we have experience with her special circumstances," he argued, as convincingly as he could manage.

"Hmm, I'm not sure if it's best for Sarah to be moved so soon."

"Yeah, well the doctors on base are already familiar to her. And we can't risk her inadvertently revealling classified information about military operations that she witnessed during her... trouble."

"You may be right, Cam, but this isn't a decision I can make quickly. Could we discuss this tomorrow?"

Cam noticed Heather's look of impatience, and decided it would be best to wrap up the conversation quickly. "Er, we could, but I don't want to leave it unresolved for long. This could be time-critical to both your sister's health and to the USAF."

"How does brunch at the gallery sound? Your friends are invited, of course."

"That sounds great," Cam accepted. "What time?"

"I'll expect you at eleven."

"Eleven it is. I'll look forward to it, Mel."

"So will I."

Cam returned the phone to the grouchy receptionist and picked up his papers. "I should have known it wouldn't be that easy," he muttered. "Let's get back to the car. I've had enough of this place."

"Hmph," Heather commented as the trio exited the building.

"Not quite what I expected," Cam commented once they were securely in the car. Their next stop was the hotel, where their bags had already been dropped off.

Vala loudly took issue with that statement. "Not what _you _expected? What about _me_? Why didn't you warn me that she'd been a host?"

"Uh..."


	11. Morning at the Gallery

Author's note: Uh, does this thing still work? *brushes off some cobwebs and blows away some dust*

**Chapter 11 - Morning at the Gallery  
**

_Previously:_

"Not what _you _expected? What about _me_? Why didn't you warn me that she'd been a host?"

"Uh..."

---

Vala looked disapprovingly at the lieutenant colonel. "I know you don't want me here, but you should have warned me about a detail like that. Those sorts of surprises are _not_ pleasant, as I'm sure you saw. We're all lucky Sarah was the only one to experience a flashback."

Cam was highly concerned at that revelation. "You mean you could have..."

Vala shrugged. "It hasn't for a few years, and it was only that bad the first couple of times. But regardless, it gave me quite a fright."

"Looks like we both left out important facts," Cam complained.

"I was ordered to keep quiet," Vala defended. "Besides, I never thought of it, because no one warned me I'd be meeting an ex-host!"

Cam groaned. "You've made your point. I should have realised you needed to know, but I forgot that former hosts can sense each other's residual naquadah when they're close enough. Now what's done is done, so can we let it drop?"

A look of puzzlement settled on Vala's face. "Drop? Is that one of your curious Tau'ri expressions?"

"He means that it's pointless to continue arguing about whose fault it is, so we shouldn't waste any more time on it," Lieutenant Hailey clarified.

"Ah. So, where are we going to eat tonight? I hear the Tau'ri have many fine eating establishments and a great variety of foods. I would love to compare them to the various banquet halls, kitchens, and taverns I've dined in across the galaxy."

"May I recommend a fine tradition known as Room Service," Cam suggested, not wanting to risk taking Vala to a restaurant just yet.

"Hmm," Vala considered. "Is there one near our hotel?"

"Extremely," Jen replied, realising what Cam was up to. "And speaking of the hotel, we've arrived."

-

_The next morning..._

"I'm still mad that we stayed in our rooms. What's the point of being here if we don't go out and experience things?" Vala griped.

"First, I don't need you calling an international – or interstellar – incident, and second, no one said you could talk," Cam swiftly explained. "Now behave; we're almost at the gallery."

"Sir, what if Melissa won't consent to our taking Sarah back to the SGC?" Jen wondered.

"Then we'll have to get out government to tell her government to tell her why it has to happen without actually telling her _why_. And that means a whole lot more paperwork and complications which no one wants."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that. I think you have a fair chance, Sir. It's obvious Mel likes you."

"Um, yeah, that doesn't necessarily make it any easier."

Vala made a sound which was halfway between a hum and a purr. "Trust me, it makes everything easier."

"Vala, if you want to keep your monkey, I recommend you keep your mouth shut," Jen suggested as they exited their ride.

Vala wisely opted not to reply, apart from a sour glare at her bracelet-partner.

"Cheer up," Cam told her. "You're about to experience tea and crumpets."

"What's a crumpet? It it some kind of animal? Or a musical instrument?"

Cam shook his head. "No. You'll see. Now hush and let the lieutenant and I do the talking."

-

_A little later..._

"Lieutenant, how about you and Vala take another look around the gallery? There's a lot you didn't see yesterday, and it would be easier to sort things out with Mel one-on-one," Cam recommended. To be honest, Vala was getting in his nerves due to her odd behaviour being rather difficult to explain. He gave his junior officer a significant look to ensure she understood.

"Of course, we'd love to take another look around, wouldn't we, Vala?"

Vala had been concentrating on the taste of her crumpet and therefore was only half listening. "What was that?"

"We were saying that you might like to look around my gallery while Cam and I discuss my sister," Melissa explained with a friendly smile. "There's so much more to see."

"Oh, yes, that _is_ a good idea!" Vala replied eagerly.

"No touching!" Cam quickly ordered.

"Come on, Jen-girl, let's get going!" the alien enthused through her final mouthful of crumpet.

Jennifer shot the woman an annoyed glare, but – knowing it was best to get her away from Melissa's curiosity – she set down her tea with a sigh and escorted Vala out of the room.

"Playful woman, isn't she?" Melissa asked once the pair were gone.

"Vala? Yeah, she's like that. I have a feeling it's due to her troubled past," Cam speculated.

"Interesting accent," Mel mused. "Where's she from?"

"Australia, originally," Cam fabricated.

"Really. And since then?"

Cam shook his head. "I can't tell you that."

"Classified?"

"Yeah," the officer answered apologetically.

"Why exactly is she travelling with you? Or can't you tell me that either?"

"Well..." And idea popped into Cam's head and he decided to run with it. "She was actually in a similar situation to your sister. Vala's undergone more treatment, so she's more functional. In fact she's proof that we can help Sarah recover from her ordeal."

Melissa considered the matter in silence for several seconds. "One of the doctors told me about Sarah's... episode yesterday. He explained that a remnant of her brainwashing was triggered and she had a flashback to her time with the cult who kidnapped her. Do you think Vala and Sarah may have known each other during... that time?"

"It's likely, which is why I think they'll be able to help each other," Cam lied. From what he'd read, Quetesh and Osiris had not been 'at large' at the same time, unless they'd crossed paths before Osiris's imprisonment, long before Vala or Sarah had been hosts. But saying that they might have was more plausible and avoided questions that he couldn't answer.

"That might be so, but I sill think she's best off left where she is. The last thing she needs is to be confined in some military base where I can't visit her."

"I understand your concern, but there's matters of security to be considered. We can't have leave Sarah where she could potentially leak sensitive information about terrorist activities to civilians."

"The doctor told me that all she's said in between unintelligible babble is some ranting delusions of godhood," Melissa assured the officer. "She hasn't said anything at all meaningful."

Cam shook his head. "Babbling and ranting to you might be sensitive military codes to me."

"Really?" Mel let out a slight laugh at that idea.

Cam shrugged. "I can neither confirm nor deny."

"Oh. Well I'm not convinced. Sarah's fine where she is, and I don't believe there's any risk."

With a frustrated sigh, Cam told her, "Then I'll have to convince someone who has the authority to order you, because my superiors will not be satisfied leaving her at West Pines. I'm sorry for wasting your time. Thanks for the crumpets though, they were lovely."

"I'll pass your compliments along to the chef." The gallery had an attached restaurant which provided meals all day. Fortunately Vala hadn't noticed, or she would have had more ammunitions for her complaints against room service.

"Well, I'd better collect my team and be out of your hair, Miss Gardner," Cam said as he stood.

"Must you? We may not agree about Sarah, but I'm sure there are other things we can talk about. And your colleagues can't be far through the exhibits."

Cam was a little surprised at this. "Sure, but my orders don't exactly allow for dallying in galleries, even one as fine as yours. And I really shouldn't leave the lieutenant in Vala's mercy much longer." He started to rise from his chair.

Melissa held up a hand in a gesture to stop him. "Before you leave, I… I want it to be clear what while I don't agree with you about Sarah, I have nothing against you personally, and… well if it turns out that she does get moved to your base, I hope it's possible I can relocate so as to stay close to her. And if that happened, I might see more of you too," she suggested.

Cam didn't really know how to respond to that. "I… we hardly know each other."

The woman nodded. "I know. But perhaps we can work on that."

"Perhaps," Cam echoed, still a little off balance. "Sorry, Mel, I didn't really expect that."

"I understand," Melissa replied softly. "But as you said, you should be moving along. How about I walk you out to the front desk so you can call your people on the P.A. system?"

"That'd be great," Cam agreed.

-

_Five minutes later…_

"For the third time, Lieutenant, drop whatever you're doing and drag Vala directly to the entrance, unless you're already doing that, in which case hurry it up! This is a direct order," echoed from speakers placed in every corner of the gallery. Cam set down the microphone and began waiting for the officer and the alien to show up. A minute later, there was still no sign of them. Cam sighed. "I should have known better than to let them go off alone. We'll have to search for them now. They should be together." Unbidden, a mental image of Jennifer and Vala lying on the ground dead or unconscious entered his mind. He shook his head to banish it, hoping they had stuck close enough together.

"We could check the camera feeds in the security office," Mel suggested. "That would save us from navigating the entire building."

"Thanks, that would save a lot of time," Cam agreed. His feelings of worry diminished slightly. But a few minutes later, the worries returned in full force: the cameras showed no sign of either missing person. "They must have left the building," Cam groaned. "The lieutenant had better have turned her cellphone on…" But that avenue bore as little fruit as the previous two. "I can't believe they'd just…" the officer slapped the hardwood desk with both hands in extreme frustration.

"It's not the end of the world, Cam," Mel spoke in a soothing voice. "I can rewind the recordings so you can see when they left and possibly why and in what direction."

"That would be a big help," Cam agreed. "Take it back… say, fifteen minutes."

Mel tapped some keys and the bank of screens turned blank for a moment as the correct footage was loaded. "Here we go… and there's our missing ladies." She pointed at the recording from a particular camera, which took up the quarter of one of the screens. "I'll run it at four times normal speed to save time."

Cam nodded as he silently watched the two women make their way around the museum from one camera to the next, and to the next and… "Huh? Where'd they go? Play that back at normal speed, Mel." Mel did so, and the pair watched as Jen and Vala walked out of range of one camera without appearing on any other.

A look of consternation appeared on Miss Gardner's face. "Walking north down that part of corridor G should have taken them from camera 19 to camera 23."

"Is there a blind spot?"

Mel shook her head vehemently. "No, the field of view overlaps. They should have been visible on both cameras for a few seconds. That's not possible, unless someone tampered with the security system."

"You mean…"

"The most likely explanation is that your colleagues have been abducted."

Cam dropped his head into his hands on the desk. "The general's gonna kill me," he muttered.


	12. Missing Persons

Author's Note: Yes, I started this chapter after posting the previous chapter. It's shorter but fortunately not proportional to the waiting period!

**Chapter 12 – Missing Persons**

"Yes, Sir. I understand, Sir. No, no, of course not Sir! I'll keep that in mind, Sir. Yes Sir, I'm sure they will." Cam set down the phone and let out a heavy sigh. "I'm _so_ dead."

"Hey, it wasn't your fault, Cam" Mel comforted. "If one of my security guards had actually been watching the screen at the time, we may have found out in time. Oh, I hope none of my employees were involved in this!"

"Don't blame yourself, Mel, I'm responsible for my people. I shouldn't have let them out of my sight."

"I'm the one who suggested it," Mel countered.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is finding them. To that end, there'll be some people arriving here shortly to check the building for evidence."

"I understand. The official opening time of the gallery isn't for another..." here she checked her watch, "eight minutes, which means there won't be any visitors to question. And I'll hold off opening for as long as you require."

"Thanks, I was going to ask about that."

"No problem," Mel answered politely, though in truth it was rather inconvenient. "Do you have any idea who might have done this? May the kidnappers contact you with demands?"

"We can't count on that. They may already have who they want. And in any case, we don't give into demands so we have to track them down as soon as possible."

A worried look crossed Mel's features. "You said that Vala has been in a similar situation to my sister. Is it possible that she might be a target too?"

"I don't think… well… It's a definite possibility," Cam conceded. "I'll arrange for some extra security to be sent to West Pines."

"Thanks, Cam, I don't know what I'd do if anything more happened to Sarah. She's been through too much already."

"Yeah, she has," Cam agreed as he dialled.

-

_Half an hour later…_

"Nothing?" Cam repeated, incredulous.

"That's what I said. No signs of struggle, no signs of tampering or forced entry," the leader of the investigative team rehashed.

"What about the computers?"

"Nothing obvious. We're running fingerprints but we don't expect to find anything."

"Could the cameras could have been messed around with remotely?"

"It's possible. Or it could have been an insider."

"We only decided to come here yesterday," Cam pointed out. "Whoever organised this must have a lot of resources to move so quickly."

"Or a few very good resources."

"You're right. So to put it simply, we know nothing," Cam declared.

"That's not quite true: we've eliminated a lot of possibilities."

"That doesn't help us find Hailey and Vala. Come on, there has to be something you can do. This can't get much…" he was interrupted by the sound of his cellphone, "…worse. Mitchell speaking, what's up? She's _**what**_? No, I heard you the first time. How could you let… Oh. I see. Yeah, I'll tell her. Right, I'll do that."

"Cam? What is it? What happened?" Mel demanded. Her expression turned fearful as she read the concern in his face.

"The team at West Pines were too late. Sarah had already vanished. The cameras didn't show anything," he explained.

Mel stared with wide eyes and trembling lip. She let out an almost silent gasp before falling on Cam's shoulder to sob.

-

_Elsewhere…_

Vala Mal Doran awoke suddenly, her eyelids springing open and her lungs taking a large gulp of air. Her eyes darted around the unfamiliar and – to be honest – rather bland room. After a few seconds of contemplation, she recalled that she was engaged in a rather disappointing visit to the planet unimaginatively called Earth – disappointing from the perspective of seeing her Daniel, that is. The trip had delivered some interesting experiences though. Unfortunately, it also included some all too familiar events, such as waking up strapped down to a gurney wearing clothes she never would have chosen herself. "Hey, you took my clothes off while I was asleep! Where's the fun in that?" she protested defensively. An off-balance captor was a captor with the potential to make mistakes, and that usually resulted in a captor who didn't stay a captor for long.

"Good, you're awake," replied an unseen voice. It was male, businesslike, and bore an accent common to the natives of this part of the planet. "I have a job for you."

"Do I get paid?" Vala immediately asked.

"Unlikely."

"I don't work for free."

"If you cooperate, I won't have to kill your friend," the voice continued.

"Really? What friend?" Vala inquired, trying to sound carefree.

"The young woman, name of Hailey. We have her restrained in the next room." Next in what direction, the voice failed to specify.

"Oh, that friend. Yes, I'd much rather keep that one. What was the job you mentioned?" Again, Vala hid her concern. She was keenly aware than Jennifer's death would be her own, but she didn't know if the owner of the voice knew. The Tau'ri had a habit of pulling surprises from seemingly nowhere.

"I require your services as a translator."

"What do you want translated? Dusty old texts? Broken bits of pottery? A treasure map?"

"It's not something written, it's something spoken. Do you remember meeting Doctor Sarah Gardner?" the voice asked impassively.

"I wouldn't exactly call it a meeting. I didn't really make a good first impression on the woman. Come to think of it, she didn't make a good impression on me either."

"You're about to meet her again, and I wish for you to tell me what she says. I know you understood her. And you know the truth of her condition."

"How did you reach that conclusion?" Vala wondered. "I suppose you have friends in that Wet Pines place," she guessed cutely, intentionally mistaking the name.

Her slip passed by ignored. "Something like that. Doctor Gardner will arrive momentarily. Remember the consequences for failure to cooperate."

"Right, I die," Vala tested.

"No, your friend dies. You're no good to us dead," the voice corrected, informing Vala that he did not know about the bracelets.

"Oh, she dies. Of course. Wouldn't want to kill the wrong woman, would we?"

There was no reply, just the sound of a door unlocking and opening, followed by the squeak of wheels. After Vala heard the door close and relock, the voice stated, "She will awaken soon."


End file.
